King County, WA

Est. 1954

King County Explorer Search & Rescue (ESAR) is a volunteer organization operating under the purview of the King County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Department of Emergency Management. Our membership is comprised of youth and adult outdoor enthusiasts with a passion for helping those in need.

Our highly trained volunteers respond to a wide variety of emergency operations including lost person searches, first aid and evacuation of injured hikers and climbers, avalanche rescue, and high-angle technical rescue. While ESAR typically responds to wilderness and back-country emergencies, our resources are also occasionally called into service for urban responses such as searches for missing children and elderly walkway patients, and to conduct evidence searches on behalf of the King County Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies.

Learn

Founded in 1954, King County Explorer Search & Rescue is one of the earliest Search & Rescue organizations established in the United States and the largest of eight member-units of the King County Search & Rescue Association.

Donate

100% Volunteer, 100% Donation Funded. King County Explorer Search & Rescue is a non-profit organization. It is donations from people like you that make Search & Rescue services possible. Please consider donating today.

Join

Membership in King County ESAR is open to anyone age 14 and older. Our basic training program provides extensive and rigorous training in wilderness navigation, search procedures and wilderness survival, as well as basic first aid and CPR certification.

King County Explorer Search & Rescue (ESAR) is a 501(c)(3) Volunteer Organization.

Our members respond to over 150 emergencies every year.

ESAR is King County's primary wilderness ground search and rescue organization. Our members are outdoor enthusiasts with a passion for helping those in need. 100% of funding for training, operations, and critical, life-saving equipment comes from generous donations by local businesses, the communities that we serve, our volunteers, and people like you.